Diabetics can now keep an 'eye' on their blood sugar level with smart contact lenses

Constant monitoring is perhaps the only way that diabetics can ensure that their blood sugar remains within the desirable level. Now, an organic chemistry researcher University of Akron named Dr. Jun Hu has come up with a new kind of contact lens that would alert people about their friends’ rising blood sugar level by simply looking into their eyes. Dr. Hu has been working on the project since 1999 and has finally created not only a smart contact lens that can automatically monitor blood sugar levels of the wearer but is also working on developing a smartphone app that would allow users to simply look into their phone’s camera, take a picture of their eye and instantly get the blood sugar reading from the lens.

The blood sugar monitoring contact lens would change color by sensing the slightest change in the sugar level present in the tears and indicate a rise in blood glucose level by changing their color. This would allow pre-diabetic patients to better monitor their condition and eating habits as well as diabetic struggling to keep their blood sugar level in check through a busy day. The change in the color of the lens would not be detectable by the wearer who would have to rely on feedback from others or a mirror to see if the color of their lens has changed and when combined with the smartphone app, the creation would allow millions across the world to keep blood sugar levels in check without using the painful prick-and-tell monitor. Via: Dvice